Grammar: Far from pointless

18th March 2014 - Fine Cut

"That's just wrong." This is not the reaction that you want when consumers read your label. However, this is just what came Tesco's way when a 15-year-old school boy noticed a grammatical error on their packaging.

Albert Gifford sat down to enjoy his breakfast when he noticed that the carton of orange juice claimed it was made with oranges at their "most tastiest".

"That's just wrong. I was so astonished, especially as Tesco is such a large company, that I almost started pouring the orange juice on to my Weetabix," he said.

According to the Daily Mail, the young student wrote to the supermarket to inform them he believed there was a mistake, suggesting it should read "tastiest" or "more tasty" - but certainly not "most tastiest".

A few weeks later, he got a response and the retail giant has both apologised for the error and pledged to correct it when the packaging is printed in future.

While the youngster did go on to say that he did not believe the supermarkets were solely responsible for teaching grammar to shoppers, it serves as an example of how companies can make a fool of themselves by not paying attention to the finer details, such as spelling and grammar.

A survey of 3,000 Britons commissioned by online parcel delivery company myhermes.co.uk found that bad spelling and grammar was the tenth most likely factor to make people lose their cool, behind other life situations such as slow internet, traffic and waiting for individuals who are running late.

However, worse from losing credibility within your sector and irritating customers, a careless mistake could even land your business in hot water.

For example, just one wrong number on a pharmaceutical label could have far more serious repercussions than a letter written by an eagle-eyed student.

At Fine Cut, we understand the importance of making sure every last detail of your label is absolutely spot-on, with more than 30 years of experience. Give us a call today to find out how we could help you.